Shoe-ventilating device



March 18, 1930. R. H. SCHWALM SHOE VENTILATING DEVICE Filed July 51, 1929 2.15. SG'HPPHLM IN VEN TOR.

B A TTORN E Y.

Patented Mar. 18, 19255 igsae'zo Fr es RUDOLPH HQSGHWALM, OF MILLVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR F ONE-HALF TC LAVERNE C. KNIBNSCHILD, OF MILLVALE, PENNSYLVANIA SHOE-VENTILATING DEVICE Application filed. July 31,

The present invention relates to devices for aerating and ventilating shoes, and provides a means comprising a bellows, with appropri ately located valves, and an operating piston adapted to be automatically operated in walking, and suitable conveyor and delivery tubes for distribution of the pumped air within the shoe, as will be described in detail .as the description proceeds hereinafter.

Suitable means also provides for the supply of fresh air to the bellows, by means of an opening in the heel of the shoe, and a valve in the bottom of the said bellows, as will be described.

The actuation of the bellows for pumping fresh air into the interior of the shoe, comprises a novel piston,'and recess, whereby the natural motion of the heel, as it contacts the ground in walking, operates the piston which in turn actuates the bellows to pump the air into the shoe, all of which will be fully de scribed below.

Many of the parts, such as the non-return valves are novel and ingenious, as well as 2 some of the details of the delivery air tubes as will be seen from the description.

From which it is evident the prime purpose of the device in hand is to'provide a means for thoroughly aerating and cooling the interior parts of a shoe, and to give comfort to the feet specially in warm weather, and to accomplish such object by utilizing the natural contact of the shoe heel with the pavement in walking, and without any additional effort from the person using a shoe so equipped. I

In the drawings I have shown a complete example of my invention, with modifications of some of the details thereof.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of my invention.

Figure 2 is a central longitudinal'section on line 22 of Figure 1, the heel being shown in side elevation therein.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the heel portion of the device taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a vertical section of the heel, taken on line 44 of Figure 3, showing the interior construction of the heel.

1929. Serial No. 382,372.;

Figure 5 is a transverse section taken on line 55 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a longitudinal section of a valv and its connecting parts taken on line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a longitudinal sectional detail of the bottom plate of the bellows with the attached parts, taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 8 is a partial transverse section of the heel taken on line 88 of Figure 3 illustrating an air inlet means used.

Figure 9 is a partial side elevation of'the" heel, taken from the right of Figure 8, and

showing the same features as Figure 8.

. In the drawings the numeral 1 indicates a shoe having the usual sole 2, with the uppers 3, and a special heel 4, the construction of which last named heel will be described and forms an essential part of the present invention.

The heel 4 comprises the following parts, to wit, 5 which is preferably of rubber, and an interior chamber 6 which is formed therein. Within the chamber 6 is a bellows 7 having a number of parts as follows. 8 is composed of suitable pliable fabric, such as very thin canvas or the like, the upper and overturned edge of which is indicated by the numerals 10, 10, said edge being complementary to the depression 11, formed in the upper surface of the heel portion 12, and said edge 10 is placed immediately beneath the stifl leather plate 13 as shown clearly in Figures 3, 4 and 5.

The lower edge 14 of the wall 8 is secured to the bottom plate 15, which is preferably of light metal, such a'saluminum, so thebottom of the bellows is stiff, and adapted to transmit the pushing action of the piston 16 to the resisting spring 17 as is at onceunderstood. The shape in outline of this bottom bellows plate 15'is clearly shown by the dotted perimeter 18 in Figure 3. The extension 19 in Figures 3 and 4 it is notedextends into a small chamber 20 formed in the heel portion 5, extending from the chamber 6 before described. The purpose of this extension plate 19, is to engage the descending pin 21 as shown in Figure 4/ Hingedlyvconnected' to the plate 15 is the piston 16, which recipro- 1 0 .cates in the cavity 22, and has a preferably convex bottom surface '23, adapted toengage the surface of the pavement in'walking.

Mountedon theuppers'urface of the plate 1 5, is a spiral spring 17, which is'hel'd in posi 1 tion by meansof the bent plate'24 which is secured at 25 to said" bottom Plate 15. The

upper end-of the spiral spring 17 engages against theplate13, and normally keepsthe bellows 7 extended with its 'bottom"plate upon the floorof the chamber 6 :(seeFigure' tothe interior of the bellows 7, from the chamnon-return lower valve is understood from Figures 3 and7, in whicha small guttapercha hemisphere'27 is mounted ina'coin plenientary hemispherical holder28, having several "over-turned prongs-"29, 29,-as shown.

, There is a'small vertical spacebetween the bottom side of the prongs named, and the top ofthe hemisphere 27, which'when' the plate 15' is suddenly lowered, permits the'inrush of air through passage to lift the henii-- sphere 27 off its seat, as is at once understood from Figure 7.' However 'a reverse motion of the :plate 15causes'the'hemisphere to seek its seat, and prevent a reverse flow of air tl'llOuglifth passage 30.

Mounted in theuppe'r plate 13, is another 'valve and its:connecting parts, which I have numbered 31,.and in WlllCll as'clearly shown in- :Figures 1 and 6 of the drawings, a small tubular casting 32 carries within the recess: 33, a ball valve 35, and this valve is of the 11011- return type, as is readily understood from the drawings,'permitting air to pass from the bellows 7 intothedisc-shaped chamber'36, but

" The. disc-shaped casting preventing a reverse flow ofair, intothe' bel lows. It will be noted that theidisc-shaped casting 37 is slidablyfitted into the tubular casting 32, so that the former may be readily disengaged when desired.

v p 1 37 is mounted in the 1nner-sole 38 by means of the iextens ons 39, 39, and its lnner chamber 36 connects at '40 with theprefer'ably rubber tube 41, which last is used as a connecting and conveying tube to the late-rally distributing tube 42.

will be noted that at 43,43, and at 44, 44, etc, distributing vent holes are placed topen fmit air issuing from the tubes 41 and 42' to be distributed. withinthe shoe cavity45.

Another featureshould be described, to wit, the means for providing unpolluted air to the bellows 7 v In Figures 8 and 9 of the drawings, the chamber 6 is shown, and leading th erefrom is the fresh-airpassage 46, which joinsthe cavity 47, which last by means .fofthe perforations in the platel48 has access to the outside air. The lfresh' 'lair thus ad "mittedto the chamber 6, gains admission tom plate 15 of the bellows is operated by the piston 16.

' to the bellows'through the valve26,as the bot-E The over-turned edge 10, of the bellows 7 w it will be noted is preferably cemented to the bottom face of the 'plate13in order to make an air-tight bellows,-and the, plate 13 is secured to the bottom part 5 of the heel 4 by nails or pins shownat 49, 49 as shown in Figfure 3, asis at once understood.

The operation of the device, it is believed l V is apparent from. the foregoing description of the parts, but will be briefly outlined as follows. As the person using the device walks along the pavement, the rear corner 50 of the lows is pushed upward, air supplied by the fresh air inlet 46' is free tojenter the valvefl26 in said lower plate 15, anda's the person lifts his foot thespring 17 causes the plate :15'to again seek the bottomoffthe chainber 6;thereo so 7 heel 4 engages the pavement first, after which the rounded surface 23 of the piston 16 is de pressed, andthe bottom plate 15 of the bel- I by opening the valve 26, and airrushesintothe bellows 7. As the'said valve 26 isofthe non-return type asbefore described, theflair is held in'the bellows until the person using I the device again treads on the piston 16, which then'causes a pressure in the bellows, as the bottom plate .15 rises andjthe air'jpasses" 'through 'theupper valve 31 into the disc shaped chamber 36 of'thecasting 37 From there by the same impulse,the air-is driven Q alo'ngthe delivery tubes 41, and 42, where it is discharged th'rough the perforations 43,

' 44, etc., into the chamber 45' of the shoe 1.

It will be noted also that by means of the Y extension 19 of the-bottom bellows plate 15,

same is in engagement with the pin 21, which acts somewhat like a fulcrum when the plate 15 is pushed upward, bythepiston 16, so the res end 51 rises somewhat more thanthe end 19,

as. the extension 19 is loosely and slidably mounted on the pin 21 for this purpose.

The purpose of the non-return valve-31 it is believed is self-evident, so that as the bellowspumps the air intothe delivery system oftubes, and the bottom plate 15' is lowered," 5

the air so the bellows.

It will be seen thepistion provided I,

with a cylindrical head portion 52,; which neatly-fits the cylindrical chamber 22, so no dirt, or vat least very little grit can get into w said chamber 22, and-thus interfere with the slidable motion or reciprocation of the piston. Thiscylindrical head portion 52 it, will be observed, ismade of. proper. vertical depth,

so the upper edge 53 of. the piston head 54 is i always above the bottom face 55 ofthe shoe heel 4, and'thus dirt. isfprevented from getting into the chamber 22.

From the above descr ption is seen thatI have provided 5 a i completefand ingenious de vice for the pu'rposeintended, to wit, to'cool pumped will not be redrawn into and ventilate the feet, in the natural course of a persons stride in walking, and without the slightest additional effort over that which one would ordinarily use.

I claim 1. In a ventilating and cooling device for shoes, 2. shoe having a sole and an interior chamber, a shoe heel having a chamber formed therein, a bellows having a rigid bottom, and upper plate, a spring mounted on the bottom plate adapted to normally hold the bellows in extended position, a hinged piston mounted on the bottom bellows plate, a cylindrical piston chamber in the heel, in which the piston slidably reciprocates, a fresh air duct in the heel, an inlet valve mounted in the bottom bellows plate, an outlet valve mounted in the top plate of the bellows, and means connected to the said outlet valve for conveying and distributing the air pumped by the bellows to the interior cavity of the shoe.

2. In a cooling device for shoes, a shoe provided with a sole and an interior chamber for the foot, a shoe heel mounted on the shoe sole, having means for automatically pumping air using the walking action of the person to actuate the pumping means, and a conveying and distributing means comprising, a disc-shaped casting, slidably mounted on the pumping means, and a longitudinal conveying tube having distributing air perforations therein, and a transverse distributing tube having distributing air perforations formed therein, for cooling the interior chamber of the shoe.

3. In a cooling and ventilating device for shoes, an air distributing and conveying means, comprising a disc-shaped casting, having a similar shaped chamber of vertically shallow dimensions formed therein, a downwardly extending tube leading from the chamber, and a lateral tube extending from the casting and connected with the casting chamber, and a pair of prongs on the casting adapted to mount the casting in the material of the inner sole of a shoe.

4. In a shoe ventilating device, an inner sole, a disc-shaped casting having an inner chamber, a downwardly extending air passage leading therefrom, and a lateral air passage leading from the said chamber, a pair of extensions adapted to attach the disc-shaped casting to the body material of the inner sole, a conveying and air distribution tube having av number of perforations in its sur face, adapted to be embedded in the material of the inner sole, and of substantially the same diameter as the thickness of the inner sole, connected to the lateral passage of the aforesaid casting, and a transverse air tube connected with the first-named tube, having closed ends and a number of perforations in its surface, for distributing the air received from the conveying and air distributing tube.

5. In a shoe ventilating means, a heel having a bellows chamber formed therein, a bellows having a bottom and an upper plate, a spring for normally holding the bellows plates in relatively extended positions, a piston chamber in the heel, a hinged piston on the bottom plate adapted to reciprocate in the piston chamber, a fresh air duct and screened opening in the side of the heel, and an inlet and an outlet valve mounted in the bottom and upper bellows plates respectively. I

6. In a shoe ventilating means, a heel hav ing a bellows chamber formed therein, an extension plate chamber adjacent thereto,

and a cylindrical piston chamber, a bellows having a bottom plate and an upper plate, an extension on the bottom plate adapted to complementarily fit the aforesaid extension plate chamber, and provided with an aperture near its outer end, extensible means tending to normally hold the two belleows plates in extended positions, a hingedly connected piston on the bottom plate, an enlarged head on the piston having a rounded bottom, and cylindrical sides, adapted to slidably engage the walls of the piston chamber, an inlet and an outlet valve carried on the bottom and up per plates respectively of the bellows, and a pin passing vertically through the upper plate, the bottom plate extension and the lower portion of the heel, and on which the bottom bellows plate is designed to reciprocate when the piston is properly actuated.

7. In a shoe ventilating device, a heel having a bellows provided with a bottom and a top plate, an inlet and an outlet valve, a piston chamber formed in the heel, a piston hingedly connected to the bottom plate of the bellows, a piston head of complementary shape to the piston chamber, having a rounded head protruding beneath the heel, and vertical sides of suflicient vertical length as to prevent the upper surface of the piston head protruding beyond the lower end of the piston chamber, for preventing grit or similar dbris reaching the interior of the piston chamber.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

RUDOLPH H. SCHWALM. 

